The increase in sports licenses in France, estimated at around 1.7% in 2025 compared to 3.8% the previous year according to INJEP, reflects a post-2024 Paris Olympic fatigue. Behind this overall slowdown, the dynamics by discipline tell a different story, with transfers of participants towards areas that traditional sports media cover little.
Redistribution of sports licenses after the 2024 Paris Olympics
The effect of the Olympic Games on club registrations always follows the same curve: a peak in year N+1, followed by a gradual return to trend. The particularity of the 2024-2026 cycle is that the growth is concentrated in racket sports, combat sports, and parasports, while outdoor sports slightly decline and school and university federations lose members.
We also observe a structural shift towards individual practice, which now concerns about 60% of participants. The traditional club model, with weekly group training and competitions on weekends, no longer fits the lifestyle of the majority of athletes. Trail running, weightlifting, yoga, padel: these disciplines share a common point, scheduling flexibility.
The gap in participation between women and men has narrowed to just one point in 2025, compared to six points seven years earlier. The federations that attract this new female population, particularly in combat sports and trail running, are those that offer adapted time slots and short formats. To explore the rising and stagnating disciplines, the website foudesport.com in detail provides a useful overview by sector.
Law of August 3, 2026 on professional sports: what changes concretely
Law no. 2026-725 of August 3, 2026 restructures several aspects of French professional sports. Three areas deserve particular attention for anyone closely following the sports ecosystem.
Regulation of sports agents
The regime for sports agents is completely overhauled. The law imposes new transparency obligations regarding commissions, aligns French law with recent jurisprudence from the CJEU (cases C-428/23 and C-209/23), and strengthens penalties for non-compliance. Federations must adapt their internal regulations, which directly concerns professional football, basketball, and rugby.
Sports CDD: duration and renewal
Decree no. 2026-834 of August 28, 2026 specifies the conditions for duration and renewal of the sports CDD. This specific contract, which deviates from common labor law, clarifies its termination rules. For Ligue 1 and Top 14 clubs, this changes the management of contract endings during the season.
Governance of federations
The law extends the requirements for parity and term limits introduced in 2022 in federal bodies. The voting of clubs within federal general assemblies is now better regulated, with a weight proportional to the number of active licensees.
- Sports agents: obligation to declare commissions and strengthened penalties
- Sports CDD: new rules on duration, renewal, and termination applicable from the 2026-2027 season
- Federal governance: parity, term limits, weighted voting for clubs
Trail and combat sports: the disciplines gaining ground in France
Trail running continues to grow in France, driven by an expanding offer of events and the appeal of outdoor practices accessible without heavy infrastructure. Combat sports are also progressing steadily since 2020, driven by MMA, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and boxing, three disciplines that attract a mixed and younger audience.
Padel, often cited as a phenomenon, illustrates another mechanism: growth through the provision of facilities. Each new court built generates new registrations. We recommend practitioners looking to discover these emerging sectors to check for the presence of clubs affiliated with a federation, ensuring a minimum level of technical supervision and appropriate insurance coverage.
Conversely, some historical federations struggle to retain their members. The rigid competitive model deters some athletes who prefer structured leisure, without a championship calendar. The tennis and athletics federations have responded by creating “discovery” or “well-being” formats, but the transition remains slow.
Club safety and obligations of sports associations
A point that sports news sites rarely address: the legal responsibility of associations in case of an accident. Any structure affiliated with a federation must comply with specific safety obligations, ranging from equipment checks to the qualification of supervisors.
- Annual verification of equipment (apparatus, mats, nets, goals) with documented traceability
- Mandatory presence of a supervisor holding a professional card for any paid activity
- Emergency protocol displayed and accessible, including the location of the nearest defibrillator
- Club liability insurance and informing members about individual accident coverage
For a passionate practitioner, checking these elements before registering protects as much as the choice of discipline. Associations that neglect these obligations expose themselves to administrative penalties and direct liability in case of an incident.
The 2026-2027 season starts with a renewed regulatory framework, sectors in full reorganization, and a profile of practitioners that prioritizes flexibility over competition. Following sports news is no longer limited to weekend results: understanding the rules of the game, both literally and legally, is an integral part of sports life.
